Bubba
Jan 13, 2006, 7:48 AM
Post #23 of 44
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Re: [dlyman6500] Best Retirement Place for Berkeleyans
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Dlyman:
I was just kidding Gringal yesterday. Actaully, the people who started this thread have pretty much identified that same places we did in trying to find place to retire. In fact, we, as they, could see that we could sell our Bay Area property for such an aoutrgeous sum that it made no sense to continue to live there and anyway, the winter climate is a bit rainy and foggy for retirees who worship the sun.
I shouldn't say this, but San Miguel is a lot classier place than the Lake Chapala area although there are many interesting people in both places. If I were contemplating leaving Ajijic, I would strongly consider the village areas around Cuernavaca, San Miguel de Allendeor, San Luis Potosi (a bit cold in the winter) or, perjaps Jalapa. My favorite cities in Mexico are probably Veracruz and Merida but the climate in those colorful and exciting places is too hot and humid even for the South Alabama boy.
Unfdortunately, we didn't buy in San Miguel in the 80s when first there when homes were outrageously expensive at around $40,000USD. Too late now to buy in Centro in the type home we would want but I'll tell you that, as far as we are concerned, the homes in San Miguel Centro can be strikingly beautiful and architecturally far superior to what you are likely to find in the Ajijic area. A negative in San Miguel for people such as we who have five dogs, three of them huge mastiffs, is that the city is too crowded and too urban for taking care of our prescious babies. Here in Ajijic, at least the part of town we live in, we can afford a large walled-in garden and can simply walk out the front gate to miles of beaches and dirt roads. That means a lot to dog freaks.
We also moved to the Lake Chapala area because it is near Guadalajara with its restaurants (as you live in the Bay Area, you will be greatly disappointed in the restaurants around here but no place is perfect) shopping, cultural activities and outstanding medical care. The lower village in Ajijic also has excellent public transportation, has endless walks on flat terrain in charming surroundings. has an active arts scene and, if you are willing to live in the country, is not that expensive especially considering where you now live. Look at it this way, if we tried to rebuy the house we sold in the Bay Area five years ago, we would have to pay more than twice what we sold it for and have a $6,000 USD mortgage payment plus $1,200USD property tax bite every month. In other words. once you leavem baby, you be gone.
By the way, Scottsboro, Alabama is one place we considered retiring to since it is a beautiful area in the Appalachian foothills with large and beautiful lakes, It's also cheaper than here. However, my wife balked when she saw the local restaurant fare on the internet.
You can tell the Scottsboro locals from the tourists at the lost luggage center.. Their luggage consists of cardboard boxes with WalMart written on the outside.
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